Apparatus for forming asbestos-cement pipe

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING STABILITY IN AN ASBESTOS-CEMENT PIPE MANUFACTURING MACHINE UTILIZING A PRESS SECTION AND AN ANVIL ROLL BY LIMITING THE POSSIBLE MOVEMENT OF THE PRESS SECTION WHILE MAINTAINING THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE ANVIL ROLL IN A FIXED LOCATION.

j i F; A. cLAEssr-:Ns 3,554,855

APPARATUS .FOR FORMING ASBESTOS-CEMENT PIPE Filed Jan'. 31, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 iQ/l R.S mm m5 VA ma A .K M m By @Mm 3,554,865 APPARATUS FOR FORIIIIIIG ASBESTOS-CEMENT Frank A. Claessens, Somerville, NJ., assignor to Johns- Manville Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 612,937 Int. Cl. B31c 1/00 U.S. Cl. 162--284 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for providing stability in an asbestos-cement pipe manufacturing machine utilizing a press section and an anvil roll by limiting the possible movement of the press section while maintaining the axis of rotation of the anvil roll in a fixed location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to the manufacture of asbestoscement pipe and is particularly directed -to a method and apparatus for applying pressure to the wet asbestos` cement stock during its lamination on a rotating mandrel. The invention is particularly directed to the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipe wherein the pressure being applied to the laminations of Iwet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel is in the neighborhood of about 50() pounds per inch of pipe length.

Description of the prior art Throughout the last fifty years or more there have been many different kinds of machines used for the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipe. While these machines are varied in many details, practically all of them have contained some kind of a press section for applying pressure to the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel. The many varied attempts -or the proper application of the pressure have encountered similar diiiiculties. During the laminations of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel and particularly when pressures of about 500 pounds per inch of pipe length are being applied to such laminations, it is very important that there be no extraneous relative movements between the anvil roll on which the mandrel is supported, the felt carrying the wet asbestos-cement stock, the mandrel with the laminations thereon, and the press section. These extraneous relative movements include relative movement between the anvil roll and the press section in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll except for the relative movement in a controlled direction to accommodate the increasing thickness of the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel. Another extraneous movement is relative shifting movement between the mandrel and the press section or between the mandrel and the anvil roll or felt, on which the wet asbestos-cement stock is carried, in directions generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel or anvil roll.

Another disadvantage found in prior art machines is that the press section is generally supported by apparatus designed on the cantilever principle. This means that the upward forces of the applied pressure is opposed by a cantilever framework attached to the main frame of the pipe machine. In this kind of arrangement, there is a tendency to develop a little freedom of action which allows for slight relative movement between the press section and the anvil roll.

' United States Patent O Patented Jan. 12, 1971 SUMMARY 0F THE INVENTION The general object of the instant invention is to provide a method and apparatus for providing relative stability between the various components of an asbestos-cement pipe manufacturing machine particularly during the application of pressure to the laminations of wet asbestoscement stock on the mandrel.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a method and apparatus for providing relative stability between the various components of an asbestos-cement pipe manufacturingmachine during the application of pressure to the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel even though the laminations being formed on the mandrel have a slight conical taper.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a press section which is guided for movement in a vertical plane b-y a straight line slide arrangement. The surfaces guiding the movement of the pressure are spaced a relatively great distance apart to minimize the effect of wear and to provide more positive limits on any tendency for relative movement between the anvil roll and the press section in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll except for the relative movement in a controlled direction to` accommodate the increasing thickness of the laminations of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel. The instant invention also provides means to allow the press section to be mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll on which the mandrel is supported. This allows the press sectionl to follow the contour of the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock in case the laminations of asbestoscement build up on an angle so as to present an exterior surface that is slightly conical. IHowever, even though the press section may pivot about this horizontal axis, means are provided to prevent excessive shifting of the press section relative to the mandrel, the laminated asbestoscement stock thereon, or the anvil roll in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of each of these components. The foregoing arrangements allow the mandrel to be held more stable during the build-up of the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock thereon while eliminating most of the vibration and shock experienced on other pipe machines due to the relative movement between the various components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent Iwhen reference is made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section taken on the plane passing through the line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view partially in cross section illustrating the end portions of the press section; and

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section taken on the plane passing through the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 an anvil roll 2 over which there travels a felt 4 arranged to pick up a continuous sheet of wet asbestoscement stock 6 from the cylinder mold or molds (not shown) of a conventional asbestos-cement pipe machine. The anvil roll 2 is a rigid element capable of withstanding pipe forming pressures without flexing and is rotated by the motor 8 to drive the felt 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow. Positioned above the anvil roll is a press section 10 generally designed to move toward and away from the anvil roll 2 Iby a hydraulic means 12. The press section comprises a housing 14 and a plurality of press rolls 16 which are rotatably mounted in a plurality of dependent portions 18 to provide journals for the rolls 16. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rolls 16 are mounted to form two rows. The dependent portions 18 are secured to the lower portion of the housing 14. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the press rolls 16 are similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,776, issued Sept. 19, 1961. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the anvil roll 2 is mounted for rotation in a pair of journal boxes 20 each of which is supported on a fixed support 22 rigidly secured to the foundation 24. This mounting insures that the anvil rolls 2 are rotated about a longitudinal axis which is in a fixed location.

The support for the press section 10 comprises a pair of columns 26 which are rigidly secured to the foundation 24 to be in a fixed location. A beam 28 extends between and is supported on and secured to the columns 26. A pair of hydraulic means 12 are secured to the beam 28 and are connected by conventional means to a central control system 30 which governs their movement toward and away from the anvil roll 2 and also the amount of pressure to be applied by them. Each hydraulic means 12 is connected to the housing 14 `by a pivotal arrangement such as the ball and socket connection 31 illustrated in FIG. 1. This arrangement allows the press section to be moved toward the anvil roll so that the rotational axes of the press rolls 16 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll and also, to be able to pivot in response to any uneven buildup in the laminations of asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel during the application of pressure as described below.

The means for providing relative stability between the various components comprising the press section, the mandrel, and the anvil roll during the formation of an asbestos-cement pipe on a mandrel is illustrated particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4. The means for controlling the movement of the press section toward and away from the anvil roll in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll comprises a base 32 secured to the surface of each column 26 facing the anvil roll 2. The transverse cross-sectional configuration of the base 32, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is generally rectangular. As

, illustrated in FIG. 4, a spacer plate 34 spaces the base 32 a predetermined distance from the column 26 to allow for the pivotal movement of the press section 10 as described below. The base 32 and the spacer plate 34 may be secured to the column 26 by any conventional means such as a threaded-bolt assembly. Two sides of the base 32 are defined by surfaces 36 which extend in planes generally perpendicular to the adjacent surface of the column 26 and perpendicular to a horizontal plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll. A wear plate 38 is removably secured to each surface 36 to provide a wearing surface generally parallel to the surface 36.

Adjacent each end portion of the housing 14 there is a slide assembly comprising a pair of spaced apart sections 40 for operative association with the bases 32. Each section 40 comprises a pair of cooperating plates 42, each of which is secured by suitable means such as the bolts 44 to the housing 14. Each plate 42 has a surface 46 facing adjacent surfaces 36 of the base 32 and extending generally parallel thereto. A wear plate 48 having a wearing surface parallel to the surface 46 is secured to each plate 42, and as illustrated in FIG. 4, the adjacent surfaces of the Wear plates 38 and 48 are designed to be in contact with each other during all movement of the press section 10 toward and away from the anvil roll 2. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the sections 40 are spaced a substantial distance from a horizontal plane passing through the center line of the press section 10 to minimize any affect of wear and to increase the stability of this section in resisting operational forces. The sections 40 cooperate with the base 32 to prevent substantially any movement of the press section relative to the anvil roll in any direc;E

4 tion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll except for the above described movement toward and avvay from the anvil roll.

During the movement of the press section toward and away from the anvil roll 2, prior to and after the form-ation of the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel, any movement of the press section in directions generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll is prevented by the means illustrated particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4. This means comprises a roll 50 mounted on a bearing 52 fixedly mounted in one end portion of the housing 14 so that the roll 50 will rotate about an axis fixed in relation to the housing 1-4. Each base 32 has a surface 54 generally parallel to the surface of the column 26 facing the anvil roll 2. A wear plate 56 is removably secured to the base 32 to provide a wearing surface extending generally parallel to the surface 54. The roll 50 is mounted so that the outer peripheral surface of the roll 50 contacts the wear surface of the plate 56. At the other end portion of the housing 14, there is a roll 58 which may be adjusted so that its axis of rotation may be moved toward or away from the axis of rotation of the fixed roll 50. Roll 58 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 60 by conventional means such as a ball or roller bearing (not shown). The shaft 60 is supported in a pair of cooperating arms 62 which arms are joined together by a shaft 64 'which is mounted in the Iboxes 66 for pivotal movement around a fixed axis. The position of the arms 62 is controlled by the adjusting means 68 and 70 operating on the adjustment lug 72 secured between the arms 62. The adjustment means may be of any desired nature such as the cooperating screw adjustment means illustrated in FIG. 3. The rolls 50 and 58 cooperate with the wear plates 56 to insure that there is no lateral movement of the press section as it is moved toward and away from the anvil roll. The outer peripheral surface of the roll 58 contacts the wear surface of the plate 56 and cooperates with the roll 50 in controlling the position of the press section 10 during its movement toward and away from the anvil roll 2 prior to and after the formation of the asbestos-cement pipe on the mandrel. Roll 58 may be adjusted relative to roll 50 to insure the foregoing relationship. Also, the rolls 50 and 58 function to allow pivotal movement of the press section 10 during the lamination of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel and to limit any movement of the press section 10 in any direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2 caused by an unevenness in the buildup of the laminations of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel.

In operation, the press section 10 is moved to a suitable position away from the anvil roll 2 and a mandrel 74 is placed on the anvil roll 2. The press section 10 is lowered until the press rolls 16 contact the mandrel 74 so that the mandrel 74 is contained between the anvil roll 2 and the press rolls 16. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2, about which it rotates, lies in the horizontal plane, and the controlled movement of the press section 10 toward and away from the anvil roll 2 is in a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2. After the mandrel 74 has been positioned, the anvil roll 2 is rotated so as to move the felt 4 carrying the continuous sheet of the wet asbestos-cement stock 6 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. As the felt 4 passes between the anvil roll 2 and the mandrel 74, the wet asbestos-cement stock 6 is transferred to the mandrel 74. Since the mandrel 74 rotates in response to the rotation of the anvil roll 2 and the movement of the felt 4, laminations of the wet asbestoscement stock are built up on the mandrel 74 until the desired thickness has been reached. During the build up of these laminations, the press section 10 moves away from the anvil roll 10 in the controlled direction to accommodate the increased thickness thereof. The press section is then raised, the

mandrel with the wet asbestos-cement stock thereon is removed, and the cycle is again started.

During the movement of the press section toward and away from the anvil roll 2 and during the lamination of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel, any movement of the press section 10 in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2, except the above described movement in the vertical plane, is prevented by the contact between the wear plates 38 carried by the bases 32 and the wear plates 48 carried by the plates 42. Movement of the press section 10 in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2 is prevented by the rolls 50 and 58 bearing against the wear plates 56. It is noted that the various means cooperate so that the press section I10` while moving toward and away from the anvil roll 2, prior to and after the formation of the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel, moves so that the longitudinal axes of the press rolls 16 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2. However, during the application of the pressure on the laminations of the wet asbestoscement stock on the mandrel, the press section 10 is freely mounted so that it may pivot about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2 so that it may follow the surface contour of the laminations on the mandrel. This pivotal movement of the press section is accomplished by the ball and socket connection between the hydraulic means 12 and the press section 10 and the arcuate surfaces presented by the rolls 50 and 58. It is readily understood that any other means for providing an arcuate surface and line contact with the wear plates 56 may be substituted for the rolls 50 and 58. It is further noted that any uneven buildup in the laminations of wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel will tend to move the press section in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anvil roll 2. However, movement in that direction is limited by contact between the rolls 50 or 58l and its associated wear plate 56.

During the formation of the asbestos-cement pipe on the mandrel by the laminations of the wet asbestos-cement stock on the mandrel, the press section 10 cooperates with the hydraulic means 12 to apply pressure as great as 500 pounds per inch of pipe length on the laminations on the mandrel. The hydraulic means 12 further cooperates with the press section 10 so that even when the press section has been pivoted slightly due to unevenness in the buildup on the mandrel, a uniform pressure is applied along the length of the laminations on the mandrel. The application of this pressure together with the forces generated by the required rotation of the anvil roll, the mandrel, and the press rolls provide great forces tending to destroy the stability between the various components. The instant invention provides a unique arrangement which, as described above, provides for relative stability between the various components of an asbestos-cement pipe manufacturing machine during the application of the pressure to the laminations of wet-asbestos-cement' which passes between the anvil roll and the mandrel, the improvement comprising:

(a) means pivotally connected to said press section for moving said press section toward and away from said anvil roll in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said anvil roll,

(b) a pair of spaced apart stationary bases,

(c) means supporting said bases in said spaced location,

(d) means secured to each end portion of said press section with said secured means having an arcuate surface in line Contact with an associated base for permitting said pivotal movement of said press section about an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of movement of said press section described in subparagraph (a) to allow for uneven buildup in said laminations of said wet asbestos-cement stock on said mandrel, `and (e) additional means secured to each end portion of said press section adjacent to and in Contact with each of said bases for preventing substantially any movement of said press section relative to said anvil roll in any direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said anvil roll except for said movement described in subparagraphs (a) and (d).

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said means for preventing substantially any movement of said press section relative to said anvil roll in any direction except for said movement described in subparagraphs (a) and (d) comprises:

(a) a pair of spaced apart parallel surfaces on each of said bases,

(b) slide assembly secured to said press section adjacent each longitudinal extremity thereof, and

(c) at least a pair of spaced apart surfaces on said slide assembly in sliding relationship with said surfaces on said bases.

3. The improvement as deiined in claim 2 wherein:

(a) said longitudinal axis of said anvil roll lies in a horizontal plane.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said slide assemblies comprises:

(a) a section spaced a substantial distance above and a.

section spaced a substantial distance below the horizontal plane passing through the center line of said press section.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said means having an arcuate surface comprises:

(a) a rotatable roll.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 and further comprising:

(a) means for adjusting the distance between said rotatable rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,892,750 6/1959 Ramm 162--118X FOREIGN PATENTS 542,185 l2/l941 Great Britain 25-30(A) S. LEON BASHORE, Primary Examiner A. DANDREA, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 162-122 

